Held by the beach, verse takes centrestage at Bay of Life’s poetry reading session.

THE ocean evokes myriad emotions. From a powerful natural force to sporty wave breaks, it is often the subject of romantic verses, too. This Saturday, city-based surf school, Bay of Life, is organising a poetry reading session with the big blue as its evocative backdrop. Choosing the Besant Nagar Beach for their Under The Moonlight event is no accident. First of a series of monthly open mic forums, the event will artfully weave in elements of environmental awareness into its itinerary. In a continuing show of their committment toward keeping the entire coastline clean and as litter-free as possible, Bay of Life has ensured that the poetry session will be preceded by a beach cleanup, we learn. This, by itself, is a huge draw, because the surf school has been known to tag their love for the waves with a continuing committment for the beaches and the environment. Once done, the participants will sit down for the recital, with five minutes allotted to each.

Ode to the sea
“One of the main aims of these sessions is to spread appreciation for the ocean among the public,” shares Showkath Jamal, owner of Bay of Life, adding that they are also looking to provide a genuine platform for aspiring scribes. And looking at the name, Under the Moonlight, it promises to be a picturesque setting, too, with 16-year-olds and above reading out their favourite lines under the stars, right when the sun sets and the tides start to rise. Jamal points out that even though they have allowed participants to recite works of famous poets, “every single poem that we have received so far is self-written”.

The session is open to all genres and themes. “Of the 60-odd entries we have received, love, unsurprisingly, takes the lead, followed by childhood, parents, etc,” he shares, adding that abstract themes also show the creative side of the city’s aspiring bards. Official registration may be closed, but Jamal assures that they are still open to additional entries. He adds that the event is also open to people who just want to listen.

Creative call
With plans to make it a regular affair, he is also contemplating opening the series to younger children. Those interested can mail their poems to moonlight@bayoflife.com and the organisers will respond to those who have been shortlisted.

On April 9. Next event on May 21. From 6 pm to 8 pm. Details: 9940488880